The trucking industry

Or a YouTube star....

 

The best trucking jobs, don't involve freight IMHO. All the drivers in my family hauled fuel, dump trucks, heavy haul, etc etc. My dad did overnight regional bread hauling dedicated, but it was the worst trucking job he ever had. I was the first freight hauler in the family, (Van, Reefer, LTL, Day Cab, Turnpike LCV, Trainer) and lemme tell you, after 7.5 years of that BS, I tell everyone I meet; get into vocational trucking (Dump, Cement, Stone Slinger, Straight Truck with Picker, Fluid Haul, Fuel, Trash, Walking Floor End Dump etc etc).

I'm currently running Tandem Dump Truck and Tri Axle Dump Pup, M-F 8-4:30, home by 5ish, Hourly + OT. Nothing like it, also making more money than freight of any kind.

 

It's a real shame that the entire industry as a whole just stinks. There are a few gems in this pile of dung, but you gotta dig deep and hold your breath. You may find something that works for you, or not. No matter where you go, things will never be perfect due to the nature of freight.
Bad drivers, bad companies, bad dispatchers, bad brokers, bad shippers, bad receivers, bad truck stops, bad weather, bad DOT cops, bad equipment, bad infrastructure, bad time management, screwed up regulations, moronic four wheelers, ambulance chasing lawyers, low pay, long hours, corrupt safety reps, bad mechanics. I'm sure I missed a few. The industry feeds off of the bad aspects in a very symbiotic way. A good dispatcher, for example, is constantly at odds with all of the bad things and a good driver, owner, or shipper is no different.

 

Amen,

Also "corrupt safety reps" this is an off the chain problem, esp now with these "driver facing camera's with eye and head tracking". These ####ers never quit with their BS, they could have the best fleet in the country, and still find a reason to harass the drivers. Just always gotta be "doing something" or justifying their lame existence. All the old school, former driver safety guys are gone, and we're left with these 2 year logistics diploma pricks, some of which take the bus to work!

 

I don't understanding how so many of you think the industry stinks. I've had FAR worse jobs, and trucking is sooooo easy compared other jobs, in my view. Many drivers will sy the industry stinks, but the very ones that complain the loudest are still driving; words say one thing, but actions suggest another. Maybe the industry isn't that bad or nah?

 

Might be because they feel trapped in the industry. For some of us it's all we know. So how long have you been doing it? I'm guessing not more than 5 or 10 years? Give it some time. The long hours, low pay and disrespect grate on lots of people. The downward spiral of drivers who won't even look you in the eye let alone speak to you like a human being. Doesn't matter what your attitude is those things are a constant in trucking.

 

I just entered my 16th year. To be honest, trucking has gotten easier for me over the years. I've learned how to be more efficient and tolerant. Like I said, I rarely feel disrespected by shippers and receivers. Hell I probably receive more disrespect from other drivers, or at times even members on here lol. I don't think that trucking is low pay. I find it to be a very easy job, and it's good money given that the hardest thing I have to do is drive. It's good enough money to take care of home and allow for my family to have a few wants here and there. It aint the kind of good money that allows for luxury all the time, a steak dinner every night, that sort of thing. I think many drivers overspend and that leads to thoughts of it not being good money. Sure it could be better, but were still doing better than ALOT of people. As for the long hours, it isn't every day that involves long hours. I don't really get the logic of driving out a clock each day, unless it's necessary. I don't run more than 500ish miles daily unless I absolutely have to. Sure those things are constant but you gotta take it in stride. It's no sense being angry about things I can't control.

 

Some folks just ain't happy, unless they're complaining about something. I think the industry, as a whole, is OK. Lots of rubbish companies out there, but also lots of companies, that if you get your mind right, aren't too bad, and a body can make a decent living, and not break your back.

 

@bryan21384 Yeah it's definitely easier and things are done more efficiently the longer you're in it. It helps with pay having longevity too but that's still not near where it should be most places. And lots of companies expect drivers to donate their time for free like it's a given. That problem is rampant. I actually think that's why most people who come into trucking say "F this" and leave it.

I can't imagine starting again at zero and entering the industry in 2025. Knowing what I know about it now if I was 21 I'd look to do something else. But I'm in it now at 25 years and counting. I also have a good job that I wouldn't trade for any other. It'll be my last one I'll retire from it. If I ever had to go back to hauling freight due to some circumstances that would be a huge disappointment and I'd dread it.

 

You're right about that! That's one of the reasons I minimize my time at the truck stops. I tend to think if drivers evaluated companies a little better than they do, that could help with their job satisfaction. For OTR, I think smaller companies, like the 200 to 400 truck range, make for better satisfaction. Better workplace culture, and lower driver to dispatcher ratio. Smaller companies I think do better to keep drivers busy, and it's been too many times I've heard that Megas give very few miles. Many drivers fall in the cracks. I can't imagine Swift keeps 30000 trucks moving at a rate of 2500 miles weekly.